Hi Sarah,
My question is about cholesterol…..I’m just starting on the IQS – week one; (bought your book and e-book and loving them). My husband wants to join in, but he needs to get his cholesterol down, and I’m a bit worried about switching to butter,ghee and coconut oil for him. What are your thoughts?

Excellent to know about the Nuigini being lowest carbon miles. I love coconut oil but I struggle with the environmental impact of bringing it all the way from overseas. Surely Australia has the climate to be able to produce coconuts (business idea anyone??), but I guess the labour would be a significant drawback, especially when compared to places like PNG and Thailand.

I use coconut oil as a face cleanser, rub it on, leave it a few minutes and then wipe off with a warm flannel, leaves your skin so soft and not overly greasy – especially in summer.

Jane – i think we have an obligation to buy some of our goods from overseas. I’ve spoken a lot on this blog about what our consumption means to other people. I make a point of buying coconut oil from our nearest Pacific neighbours – there’s not a lot of money pouring into those areas that doesn’t come from mineral exploration. I would never buy Australian coconut oil – just as I never buy Australia coffee, tea or rice (East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan produce the highest quality of these three products and their farmers sure could use the dough, specially East Timor which incidentally grows the best coffee anywhere)

Food miles are not the only consideration. Sustainable development for other communities who have so much less than we do is at least as important. we have the power as consumers to make an informed choice about where our money goes. My coconut oil money will keep going to Fijian cooperatives.

Hi Jan,
Coconut oil, butter and ghee are all high in saturated fat, which increases blood cholesterol levels and can increase the risk of heart disease. Hence if your husband is trying to reduce his cholesterol this would not be a good option. For more information please see this link http://daa.asn.au/for-the-media/hot-topics-in-nutrition/coconut-oil/.

Hi Lauren, sorry to be confrontational but it is definitely not a good idea for Jan’s husband to eat safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, or margarines. That those foods help with high cholesterol are myths that have been proven so. They are also very damaging to ones overall health.

I have to strongly agree. We have all been sold a lie for a very long time, but finally the truth is being re-discovered, thanks in part to Sarah’s sharing of info and the work of David Gillespie and the like.

spot on stacey,
lauren,
a few things that i learn’t made me dig deeper and find the REAL truth.
did you know that margarine actually starts out black, is bleached with a caustic soda solution and then coloured yellow to make it look natural.
margarine was originally made to fatten turkeys, but when they started dying they had to find another use for it so they didn’t lose all the money that was invested.
margarine is close to being a plastic, so of course it makes sense that it would actually clog your arteries ! unlike coconut oil that melts as soon as you touch it. so how would that ever harden in a body temp of 36 degrees C.
those polyunsaturated oils are used during organ transplant operations. it is run through the body to weaken the immune system to help stop rejection.
why would we eat an oil that weakens the immune system ?? why would it have the heart foundation tick ???? just think about it. an oil that never hardens in the cold. not natural at all.
cho;esterol is not the huge problem it is made out to be. you need good cholesterol to make hormones. you need hormones to have good health. low cholesterol is dangerous esp in men. another awesome book to read that explains it all, other than those sarah has already listed is “wake up to your health and escape the sickness industry” by elaine hollingsworth. awesome read. hope it helps.

Please, don’t anyone use highly oxidized polyunsaturated fats anywhere in their diet. The carbon chains makin up these fats are so brittle, when they are heated, little ‘triglycerides’ break off and this is how trans fats begin growing like a fungus.

Saturated fat is the most stable, complete carbon chain of fat you can use. Especially when cooking at high heat like temps per 150′ Celsius.

Lauren, I appreciate you pulled information from the DAA website. I too on day want to be an APD. However, I think I nee to form my own association that supports true, tried and tested holistic health.

Care to join me if you wish, or if anyone agrees the DAA recommendation are based on outdated reports and findings only along into account info post 1950…

I love using coconut oil for all the same reasons. I have a problem though – all my kids hate the smell and know if I’ve cooked with it so they then won’t eat it. I would love help on any brands with the least flavour/odour. I am not willing to compromise on quality though and will only by virgin and cold pressed preferably packaged in a reusable jar.
thanks

Hi Sarah, I love your website and all your posts and appreciate the awareness for healthy living you are trying to bring. So in line with what I believe is the spirit and intent for your posts and no in a confrontational way I want to bring your awareness to the dangers of all coconut products as well as a side note on cooking with butter and ghee.

First off, while butter is a healthy fat, it like all oils (even the healthy olive), turns toxic when it oxidizes. So it’s extremely dangerous when heated. This is going to contribute to long strings of oxidized oil/butter in our blood vessels which can’t travel as freely as our happy round cells. So they get trapped on our vessel walls, build up over time, and then cause the blockages that lead to strokes, ect. This was hard for me to believe it is just as bad as deep fried/refried oils until I saw my own blood under the microscope at the doctor’s office!

Now about coconut products. I am sure all the research that leads to the growing popularity of cooking with coconut could be true and all the health benefits you give could be also true. However there is a really BIG catch that basically not only renders the health benefits null but also makes coconut products toxic. My guess is that the research is done on healthy, young coconuts and not on the products we actually have access to.

When the coconut ages and the meat hardens and it becomes the shriveled, brown she’ll that is shipped out for consumer use, the coconut is already toxic. Only the young, green fruit is healthy at the stage when it’s full of liquid and any white fruit will still be mush. This juice is very healthy!
The problem arises because ALL consumer coconut products including the oil and milk is processed from the toxic, hardened fruit. Yes, even the milk!! They don’t actually drain and package the milk from the coconut, this too is processed from the toxic fruit.

So please switch to buying young coconut and simply drink the liquid for the health factor. I have learned to do without coconut since my country in the Middle East doesn’t grow coconuts and doesn’t import the young coconut!

This is simply intended to inform, and based from your posts, I thought you would appreciate hearing shush information

Your blood could be not handling fat well because of sugar that you eat? Just a thought. That seems to be what caused the problem, sugar, not actually the fat itself. The sugar weakens blood vessel walls, etc.

well done sarah !!
about time someone was able to get the point across that many of us have known for a long time, but no one wants to believe us. good fats don’t make you fat. you need them.
bad fats are toxic. toxicity is what makes you fat. fat is just a toxic storage system.
high cholesterol is not the problem people think it is either.
you need good cholesterol for the production of hormones. and without the correct hormone levels you do not have good health. i have been told that low cholesterol is esp. dangerous for men.

we buy our organic extra virgin cold pressed unrefined coconut oil from Aclara Health in Qld. we buy it in a 20L drum and it works out to be $17/L incl. postage.
it is beautiful. the best one i have tasted.
hope that helps.
thanks again for speaking out.
tracey

Hi Sarah,
I’d be interested in the other side of things, since being diagnosed with insulin resistance and changing my diet dramatically (no sugar, low grains), I’ve struggled to keep enough weight on. I find I get sick a lot and have a lot of stomach upsets randomly, even though my diet is very clean. A natropath at about life today suggested I could be using too much coconut oil, contributing to weight loss. I’d appreciate thoughts on that angle, or from other readers too? Thanks so much, your blog constantly raises topics of interest to me!

Did you read my question to Sarah. This is why I was confused and was hoping to hear from her. The recipe using the raw sugar was from Sarahs page and I thought she was adament in not using any form of sugar and there it was in the recipe for Kumara chips.
I am still hoping to have an answer

Hi Wendy, I’m sure someone will get back to you. I have the 2 ebooks and I can’t find any ref to sugar in sweet pot / Kumara recipes. Actually sweet pot is already quite sweet once roasted or cooked so it would not occur to me that it requires extra sweetness. Sweet pot chips are great as wedges with some salt and pepper (other fresh or dried herbs) and roasted in the oven, perhaps with a little coconut oil…nothing more simple. Goodluck:)

http://vickisimpson.com Vicki

I have been on IQS programme for almost a year. Have eaten more healthy fats in last year, including coconut oil, than in past 10 years put together. I got blood test results last week, cholesterol level best ever. In Doctors words “brilliant”. She said “whatever you’re doing diet wise, keep doing it”.

Does anyone else feel extremely nauseous after taking coconut oil? I endured taking a tablespoon after lunch and dinner for a week but every time I felt almost like I was seasick. Couldn’t handle it. I don’t eat refined sugar at all, only a banana or an apple in the morning, and I don’t have those horrible sugar cravings after starting on slim bliss tea (amazing stuff). I’m considering investing in coconut capsules instead of taking it with a spoon, but they’re so expensive.

hi emily,
i don’t feel nauseous, but i wonder if you have a very strong flavoured / scented brand. we use oil from aclara health in Qld.
but i do actually do up my own coconut oil capsules for 2 of my kids because they don’t like to swollow it raw. my third just eats it out of the pot all day !
i also do the capsules for my dad. we weaned him of sleeping tablets by filling the capsules full of coconut oil and pretending they were his sleeping tablets.
make sure you buy vegie caps though not geletine ones.
i bought 5000 of them from the health shop for $25.
then i just gently/slightly heat a saucepan. it will continue to melt is then after you turn it off.
i use a little glass dropper, fill the large end and then put the top on.
sounds fildly but once you get started it is easy and cheap.
then i store in frifge staright away to set the oil.
and obviously if you get the biggest cap you can swollow. you will need to take less of and easier to fill.
hope that helps

Why would you waste your money on coconut capsules if your body doesn’t tolerate it? Just eat something else. Plenty of nutritious foods out there. Nobody ever died of a coconut oil deficiency.

I became sensitized to coconut oil over time, now even a tiny bit makes me want to barf. I gave it up and nothing bad happened. Although I’m probably a lot less trendy for not having coconut oil in my cupboard.

Thanks Tracy for your detailed response. I appreciate it. My local healthy store sells a small jar of coconut oil capsules for $25, compared to a large tub of it for less than $10 or so. I checked the label and the tabs are made of gelatine. So no way am I wasting money on those!

Mia, thats exactly what I did. I eliminated it entirely and now have a full jar sitting in my pantry and I’m just trying to find a way to incorporate it into my diet. I find the taste revolting and soap-like, but Sarah and loads of other people are raving on about how delicious it is so I would really like to use this forum to work out why I feel the way I do. I do eat a balanced diet full of vegetables, meat and healthy fats but after reading about coconut oil I feel like I’m missing out on the health benefits if I don’t take some of it (it’s got absolutely nothing to do with being trendy).

Hi Emily,
I have trouble having coconut oil straight so put it on rice cakes, like a spread (Obviously its refrigerated and not runny) Sometimes add almond butter, or coconut butter as well. I don’t have any problem taking it that way.

Rose Reply:February 28th, 2013 at 9:56 am

Mia, you crack me up! “Nobody ever died of coconut oil deficiency”. Oh so true but sadly sometimes you truely think you’re missing out on something big the way fthat people bang on about certain superfoods. I don’t tolerate coconut oil; nor far that matter those super hero of foods – chia seeds nor apple cider vinegar! I’m sure they work for some people but many cultures have coped without including these in their diets. Just y opinion anyways.

Sorry if that came across as snarky. I’m just super weird about food fanaticism, and for some reason a lot of blogs seem almost religiously preocccupied with coconut oil. (Not you Sarah, you seem moderate in your appreciation of the stuff.)

If someone told you to keep eating, say, eggs or fish even though they made you sick, you’d think they were insane, right? So I don’t understand how telling someone to keep eating coconut oil when it makes them ill should be any different.

As far as I’m aware, there is no vitamin or mineral in coconut oil, goji berries, chia seeds, noni juice, or any of the other fads around at the moment that cant be found in normal everyday foods residing in the veggie or cold section of the supermarket. If you enjoy the taste of superfoods and can afford them, nosh away I reckon. But if it makes you sick, stressed, unhappy or broke then why bother? Buy some good quality fresh produce & call it a day. That’s just me though.

Kay Reply:March 1st, 2013 at 8:05 pm

Rose, I’m so glad I’m not the only one!

I felt so ill after consuming coconut oil and apple cider vinegar, so I took it as a sign to listen to my body.

I think it’s probably part of my genetic profile (perhaps my ancestors were from a cooler region where coconuts didn’t grow, so it wasn’t a typical part of their diet?)

Although it’s in it’s early stages, I do think that there’s something to nutritional DNA testing to show how people react differently to food and metabolise things differently, based on their genes. I’m definitely looking at getting tested in the future.

…and I even think Dr Peter D’Adamo is sort-of on the right track with his genotype theory, but the research isn’t there yet (although, having said that, I fit the ‘gatherer’ genotype perfectly, and the food list is actually pretty spot-on for what I’ve found works best for me, including the recommendation to minimise or avoid coconut and things like Apple juice, red wine and most dairy)

Rose Reply:March 1st, 2013 at 10:33 pm

Mia, no not snarky at all! I really thought it was very funny and totally appropriate for me. I sometimes get caught up in the hype of these superfoods then when I find that I dont tolerate them I think that I might be missing out on something big. I guess in essence I’m laughing at myself. I totally get where you’re coming from and really appreciate your comments.

Kay, very good point. Yes I think there is something definately in that though I only know a little about it at the moment.

Debra Reply:March 1st, 2013 at 11:31 pm

According to blood type diet, coconut oil is not good for everyone, unfort. Could be why.

Is there an easy way to remember how to read the labels of products to check for sugar? I am so very confused. When I’m choosing a coconut butter or oil, what is the maximum the sugar content can be? So far I haven’t been able to find any specific guidelines.

A friend suggested I try Nutiva EV Coconut Oil, or Loving Earth Coconut Butter. Does anyone know if they are okay for the IQS program?

jessica,
there shouldn’t be any sugar in the coconut oil, it should be pure.
i would have thought there shouldn’t be anything in the butter either.
i haven’t got my IQS book yet, but i would have said there shouldn’t be any.

I have recently just bought your book & absolutely fallen in love! Such a well-planned and beautifully written book! : ) Thanks for the ideas for the coconut oil, i just made your coco-nutty muesli for the first time and was a little stumped on which one to get! So that helped a lot!

I also wanted to know which coconut flakes you use or if you can recommend any? I did find some but wanted to know if i can order online also.

Once again such a great book and I’m so happy i have some new things to add to my diet and try ( especially so i don’t get caught out with naughty afternoon cravings at work!!) – eating the muesli felt clean, healthy and delicious to eat! x

I use banaban organic coconut oil it’s from Fiji. I’ve consumer so much coconut oil in the last 8 weeks! Especially in the form of butter bark and raspberry ripple. I love it. Have been coating sweet potato in coconut oil then dusting with polenta before baking. Crunchy yum!

I too use the Banaban organic coconut oil & I love it. Each day I start with a warm lemon drink with 2 tbspns of C/oil in it, guess because I have been having it for so long I am unable to taste the oil, just delicous. I also add it to smoothies, there are so many wonderful recipes. They have a great site with loads of information. A percentage of the profits go to help the Banaban people.

Sarah, what are your thoughts on peanut butter? I ate a tablespoon (or two) of it every afternoon whilst doing your detox but you never mentioned anything about nut butters to curb sugar cravings in your book. Some people say its good, but some (especially those who support the paleo diet) say it’s terrible for you. I recently bought a kg tub of natural organic PB. I’m addicted. More than anything else, more than sugar and delicious bready things!!

It gives amazing – and disturbing – detail of the science behind the products sold by the big guns of the junk food industry. Talk about Goliath! It really is an amzing article, I hope yo0u find the time to read it – 14 pages of compelling information.

I use Dr Mercola extra virgin…thoughts anyone?. We don’t have much choice of brands in Hong Kong so I get mine from iherb.com….would prefer one with less miles though. Does anyone know of a iherb equivalent in Australia….gotta be less miles than the USA.

Re the saturated fat causes high cholesterol argument my husband used the Atkins diet (u der the supervision of his doctor) after his heart attack, result was below normal serum cholesterol levels. Bev

Hi Sarah,
I am in a place at the moment where I really can’t get access to cold-pressed/virgin coconut oil-the kind you would find at a wholefoods store.
I HAVE however found it at an asian supermarket, and it’s not too expensive…
My question is- is this inferior product, despite not being organic/cold-pressed and all the rest, still better for cooking than, say, olive oil or other oils? That is to say- does the fact that it’s not cold pressed mean terribly grave things for the molecular construction? I know it’s not the best option, but is it still safe to use?
Thanks for your help,
Ella

Coconut Oil can stop Tinia very quickly, I have seen it work within one week whereby the normal treatment of the dangerous fungicide Loceryl as suggested by most podiatrists can take a year, if it even works at all,

Just a quick note on blood type diet. It does advocate eating fats and keeping sugar in very tight moderation, it says type O can eat saturated fat because the digestive system is designed to cope with it, but type A, for example, can’t digest it well. Really worth looking into if you’re trying to eat healthy and still not feeling that great. Unfort. coconut oil is only okay for type O non-secretors to eat! Sorry

Hi Jan/Sarah
I went sugar free just under a year ago after reading David Gillespies book ‘Big Fat Lies’.
Since then I have also changed back to using butter. I have lost just over 10 kilos in that time and kept it off. I have never felt so well and energetic for a long time.
I had a recent blood test done and my doctor was very impressed. My ‘good’ cholesterol was slightly high and my ‘bad’ cholesterol was very low. This is a lot better than previously and after a year of eating butter!
Go for it

Hi,
Have been using coconut products from this website for a while now and absolutely love them. http://www.naturepacific.com but after reading your comments on coconut sugar I am confused as to whether the coconut sugar I’m buying from Nature Pacific is good or bad? I use it in all my baking for the kids and it tastes so good. If someone could click on their link and read their spill on “their coconut sugar” and let me know what they think then I would appreciate it. I accidentally bought Natvia sweetener instead of the Stevia brand the other day and used in my muffins instead of the coconut sugar and they were disgusting and I had to throw them out. Will continue to use this coconut sugar pending on anyone’s thoughts!
Thanks

Hi Sarah, I’ve searched high and low for the Raspberry Ripple recipie but can’t find it. I have the I quit sugar book and cookbook – is it the same as the royal raspberry tart on page 51? I want to make it for a dinner party:)

Hi, best organic extra-virgin coconut oil ever, nutiva at the best price order from iherb.com Made from fresh coconuts not dried copra. Please feel free to check it out, enter code VHN317 to receive between $5 – $10:00 off your first purchase. Cold pressed, chemical free, unbleached, undeodorized, unfermented, unrefined, unhydrogenated, no solvents, certified organic and no GMO’S. Made with the fresh is best commitment.

One of the great things about the resurgence in consumption of coconut oil is the economic and social boost for the communities of the Pacific that grow and process the coconuts. When coconut oil fell out of favour in the 80′s it was devastating for the industry. Those nations have few reources to export – but they sure can grow organic coconuts! It’s very important for our planet to share the wealth of the first world with developing nations.

LOVE coconut oil (and your raspberry ripple looks amazing!). I use coconut oil as a cleanser, body moisturiser and hair treatment- also cook with it and use in raw desserts. Have tried most brands- I only buy coconut oil in glass containers now. The best I have tried is a brand called Raw Superfoods- lovely mild taste and good value for money.

Hi I am new to coconut oil and have just read on a forum that the one I am using is no good because its refined and not unrefined? can you shed some light for me before I throw the clean nutty choc treat I made last night!!! Thanks and I love your e book and blog

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When coming across these kind of posts, i often find myself wondering where i can buy these kinds of products.
I too am a strong believer in oils – and have found that pure vitamin e oil has done me wonders to use of my face morning and night.
I am aware of the benefits of orally consuming coconut oil – however, what would you recommend in products that are used for face and body and are toxin free and what we need to look out for – and also where we can purchase them!
I have used body oil a few times and love the results it gives, however i find that only generic supermarket brands are accessible and i don’t feel too good about rubbing it into my body.
My questions are:
1] what brand of body oil/coconut oil is purely natural and where can i get this?
2] what do we need to look out for when applying these sorts of products, i know this may seem like a silly questions – but is there such a thing as organic vitamin e oil or rosehip oil.. oil is oil in its purest form right?

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I'm a journalist + TV presenter. I write about how to make life better. If I had a resume it would list the following: editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, host of MasterChef Australia, Sunday Life columnist, host + producer of the Lifestyle YOU channel (under "hobbies" it would say: eating + riding a bike).
I'm on a mission to find ways to make life bigger, more meaningful, nicer, smarter, heartier.